In the early morning hours of Dec. 1, over 100 State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) elves from around the state traveled to a credit union operations center in Raleigh in anticipation of its third annual SECU Supports the Troops holiday campaign packing day event. As the morning unfolded, the elves, aka SECU staff and volunteers, assembled, labeled and securely taped 5,000 holiday gift boxes filled with “wish list” items for North Carolina National Guardsmen and other North Carolina based deployed soldiers. Thirty-four pallets laden with more than 400 cases of “gifts from home” were then loaded into two SECU sleighs – two U.S. Postal Service 18-wheelers, for delivery to military bases throughout the world.

North Carolina has introduced the first law to provide broad expungement opportunities to adults convicted of crimes. The law, allowing expunctions of first-time nonviolent misdemeanor and low-level felony convictions, went into effect Dec. 1

The new law will offer a new beginning to thousands of individuals who have long since paid their debts to society.+

The law allowing for expunctions of firsttime nonviolent misdemeanor and low-level felony convictions 15 years after an individual has fully completed his or her sentence was signed into law on July 16, and went into effect on Dec. 1, 2012. If eligible, an individual must demonstrate he or she possesses good moral character and has been on good behavior throughout the 15-year waiting period. The law will benefit those who have long demonstrated a sincere dedication to contributing to society through their upstanding behavior, but are still being denied opportunities to reintegrate with and contribute to their communities.

Even though the sale of synthetic marijuana is legal in Macon County, Sheriff Robert Holland says that illegal versions of the drug are being sold and it is a problem that his department is currently taking measures against.

“We are aware it is an issue and a problem and we are taking measures to address it,” said Holland. “It is very difficult when you are talking about chemical compounds and scientific makeup of the substances.”

Synthetic marijuana, which is sold under many names including K2, incense, and Spice, is typically a blend of herbal mixtures that when consumed create effects similar to cannabis, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The product can be found in gas stations and in smoke shops. The packaging for the substance clearly states "not for human consumption," but people often buy them for their psychoactive effects.

The Division of Employment Security (DES) will be expanding the weekly process by which unemployment insurance claimants certify they are eligible for benefits. This is another effort on the Division’s part to strengthen the state’s unemployment insurance program and emphasize a commitment on fraud prevention.

Weekly certification is the process used to verify that the claimant was unemployed during the week and is eligible for benefits. A claimant will need to certify for eligibility for every week that they want to receive a benefit payment. This certification can be filed through the Internet and over the phone.